A Dream Within A Dream
by Keshiqi
Summary: A love cut short, a promise that doesn't pan out, a demon at the doorstep, a bond left broken, and a willing blindness. Alternatively, an crack ship disguised as a serious one


Act 1: The Fragility of Romanticism

1

Naruto loves the early hours of the day. His curtains would glow orange with the morning light when the sun peeks over the horizon as it rises up from its slumber. The sky looked heavenly around the time he woke up, where the last colors of twilight melted away as vermilion red and persimmon orange swept into view, pink tinted clouds lazily rolling over the hills to lay across the vast sky like a blanket. The chorus of birds give a melodic charm to the low chattering of the people around him, and Mr. Ukki would perk up to reach for the soothing rays kissing his leaves and painting them with a vibrant gold. He would water the plant and gently stroke its bouncy leaves before he'd leave for school, where he would blank out for most of Iruka-sensei's lectures as he doodled little swirls and birds in his notebook.

Today he hangs out at the park with his favorite swing. Normally he would go home when he sees the shadows growing longer and the soft light growing darker as the sun begins to set, but he doesn't leave just yet. Sakura told him that she prefers the night sky over the gentle touch of dawn and Ino agreed with her enthusiastically, which led to a lunch long debate on which was better. Naruto himself was a passionate morning supporter along with Lee, Hinata, and Shino, while the rest either didn't care–like Shikamaru–or vehemently argued against it. He doesn't get the appeal of night time. It was dark, creepy, and disturbingly quiet.

It was a little scary too, seeing the park so empty and all the lighthearted atmosphere gone with the kids who were asleep by now. It was just him, the swing, and a tree far away from the rest of the playground where the lamps are. Naruto was just about to leave after he was satisfied that his opinions were correct when he sees a pale wisp out of the corner of his eye.

His heart dropped and every horror movie he's ever watched comes flooding back with theories and paranoia as to what exactly it was and how it was going to kill him. He ever so slightly turned his head to the side to fully look at whatever the thing was–and his breath catches.

It was another boy, not a ghost–but that's not important right now. He was standing still, head tilted back and facing the sky. Everything about him was dark like the night sky from his unruly hair to his long lashes and even his clothes were black. His skin looked translucent, fragile like the furrow of his brow and the curl of his lips, as pale as a porcelain doll. The light from the moon caressed his cheeks and kissed his locks as they swayed like feathers in the chilling breeze, getting caught on his lashes when he cracked his eyes open just a sliver–and Naruto was bewitched.

Sorrow, silently crying like mournful singing of a coucal bird even though his eyes were dry–but they were also blank, a void that fed on the light around them and Naruto–Naruto was pulled in too.

When he walked over to the fey boy–not quite seraphic but not entirely human either–he could feel every nerve in his body explode in a shower of sparks when those eyes locked onto his own, and when he spoke, Naruto can hear a choir of angels singing. "Who are you?" The boy asked, barely above a whisper and so delicate that Naruto wants to wrap him in a blanket and protect him from the world.

"Hi I'm Naruto wanna be friends?" He blurts out, his tongue suddenly too big and his mouth not forming the shapes he wants it too. The boy blinks slowly, and Naruto begins to fidget, pleading to whatever was listening that he didn't already mess up.

"Friends…?" The boy mutters quietly, so quietly Naruto almost didn't hear him. Then–slowly, softly–a small smile teases the edges of his lips, one that didn't seem to reach his eyes but Naruto doesn't notice. "That sounds nice." He continues.

Naruto beams at him, grinning so widely his cheeks hurt as he cheers and pulls the docile boy over to his swing–he feels like he forgot something. His hand was so cold, but that's okay, Naruto doesn't mind that his new friend's fingers felt like ice as they intertwined with his own. He sat down at the base of the tree and gestures for the other boy to sit down too. They sat and talked for what felt like hours, even though it was mostly Naruto talking and his friend humming and nodding every now and then. He tells him all about Mr. Ukki, his friends, why ramen was the greatest food ever, and all things in between. The boy even laughed once when Naruto dramatically reenacts the time Iruka-sensei caught him in the act of unscrewing the legs of his table which led to a very long chase through the school halls, Naruto carrying two chunks of wood and a screwdriver, and Iruka-sensei with a ruler shouting at him to stop running. "–And then he made me fix his desk and stand outside the class carrying two water buckets for hours! Hours! I couldn't feel my arms for weeks!"

"That's so dumb, why would you do that?" The boy snorts, amusement gleaming in his eyes.

"Sometimes," Naruto began solemnly. "One must risk his very life for the sake of a prank, especially if it's Iruka-sensei."

The conversation falls into a lull–the type that was comfortable and didn't make Naruto want to fill in the silence with more nonsensical babbling. He tried to wrack his brain for what exactly he forgot.

Eventually, the boy sighed and stood up. "It's late. I have to go."

Naruto frowns and hurriedly stands up as well. "Aw man, that sucks." He pouts. "Do you wanna meet up here again tomorrow?" He offers hopefully.

The boy gave him a brief smile–one that softened the sharpness of his face and let the tiniest glimmer of light shine in his eyes. "That sounds nice." He says, and begins to walk away.

"Wait!" Naruto calls out, eyes wide when it finally hit him why something felt off. "What's your name?" He forgot to ask for his friend's name–how does that even happen?

The boy freezes in the middle of his step before sparing a glance backwards. "... Sasuke."

Naruto grins and waves cheerily even as the boy–Sasuke turns around and continues to walk away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sasuke!" He calls out to the fading figure. He stays there for a few more moments before heading home, giddy for the next day and already thinking of all the things they could talk about or the games they could play together.

Naruto was seven years old when he learns that he loves the moon more than the sun.

2

Naruto never saw Sasuke again after that day.

Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. He's sixteen now, and the sunlight gave him headaches when he wakes up with his face pressed against his drool stained biology homework. Mr. Ukki was as fine as ever, and he dearly hopes that Mr. Ukki the Second was just as healthy ever since he gave the potted plant to his eccentric homeroom teacher. The birds outside mock him as they flew around freely, enjoying their lives while he was stuck scrambling to finish his short answers, make breakfast, and figure out which button goes through which hole when he throws on his shirt. In the end, he scribbles something nearly illegible and mostly nonsense as the last answer, shoves his burnt toast in his mouth, covers the crinkles on his shirt with the school blazer and makes a dash for his bike to pedal to school.

He barely makes it to his seat when the bell rang and sags in relief–it was funny how life worked out. When he was in Iruka-sensei's class he was late pretty much every other day knowing that the most he'll get was a slap on the wrist and cleaning duty. Doing that now would be signing up for his death because somehow, even though he was always late by at least an hour himself, Kakashi-sensei always finds out who was late and his punishments–Naruto shudders to think about it.

Today seemed to be his lucky day because right after the last bell had rung, Kakashi strolls into the classroom and not even a second late.

Naruto had to pinch himself to make sure that he was still awake and he sees a lot of his classmates do the same–Kakashi being on time didn't happen. It was forbidden. It was against the laws of the universe–but there he was, slouched over and with his ever present eye smile as he stands in front of his class.

"Ah, good morning class!" Kakashi-sensei drawls with an amiable lilt to his voice, completely choosing to ignore the incredulous stares and furious praying that nobody did something so stupid that the whole class had to suffer for it. "We're going to be having a new student join us for the rest of the year. He recently moved to Konoha a few months ago so be nice okay? It'd be a shame if I had to make my cute little students clean the entire school everyday with a toothbrush." The thinly veiled threat was not unnoticed. Satisfied at the nods and murmured agreements, Kakashi-sensei motions for someone to come in.

Naruto takes one glance and feels a sense of deja vu when his breath catches at the sight.

Sasuke stands next to Kakashi-sensei and bows. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke, it's nice to meet you all." His voice got deeper–Naruto thinks, dazed and numb as he drinks in the form of the boy who disappeared in his childhood.

He still looked the same–still had the same subtle arch in his brows, the same narrow face, even his eyes held the same void as back then–but he's older now. There's less fat on his cheeks and his bangs were long enough to cover his forehead like strokes of ink against rice paper. He's taller too–of course he's taller, it's been nine years since Naruto last saw him but it was still jarring to see the image of an older Sasuke overlapping the Sasuke from his memories.

Sasuke's gaze sweeps over the classroom and pauses on him. They stared at each other, an unreadable look on Sasuke's face and Naruto tries to smile but he's too stunned for his mouth to do anything but twitch.

Kakashi says something about where Sasuke was sitting and Naruto doesn't take his eyes off Sasuke's form for even a second as he walks to his new seat, his gait unhurried, confident.

Throughout the day, he steals glances at Sasuke every now and then as if he'll disappear without a trace again–he doesn't think he could handle it a second time. He remembers the crushing guilt when he was younger, so confused and miserable because he didn't know what he did wrong to drive Sasuke away like that. It still hurts to think about, a dull ache in his heart and seeing Sasuke now after so long only made it worse. But still, Naruto finally feels the grin he's been reaching for spread across his face–slow and insuperable–because Sasuke was _real_. He was real and tangible, not just some figment of his imagination or a ghost that humored the request of a child.

Naruto was elated, head high up in the sky and thanking his lucky stars for allowing such a serendipitous reunion to take place. Not even Orochimaru-sensei's harsh words lashing at him for not paying attention to his lesson about cells or something along that line could bring him down.

Lunch came around and Naruto was the first to bolt out of his seat to stand in front of the new student. He holds out his hand and smiles. "Hi, I'm Naruto, wanna be friends?"

Sasuke stares at him for a long moment before he huffs, reaching out to grab his outstretched hand. "That sounds nice."

3

Sasuke stays this time.

They hang out a lot nowadays. At lunch, Naruto would drag the both of them off to sneak onto the roof of the school where they would cloud watch and talk idly about anything that came to mind. After school, Sasuke would be lingering near the park where they met, and they'd walk around aimlessly before splitting off to go home.

It felt nice–to have Sasuke next to him like this, and apparently it showed because Shikamaru mentions it once in passing. "You've been in a good mood lately, what's up with that?"

Naruto was sitting at their table today. Sakura was chiding Sai about something the boy did while he tried to slink off behind Ino, who was happily chatting away with Hinata about how pretty the shy girl's hair looked when it was in a bun. Kiba was off to the side, not so sneakily feeding Akamaru–how he manages to sneak his dog past security everyday was a mystery to everyone–bits of his food, and Choji was discussing what breakfast was the perfect balance of both flavor and healthy with Lee. He almost forgot how fun it was to be around his dysfunctional band of friends.

"I'm always in a good mood Shika," Naruto says between bites of his sandwich. "I thought we already talked 'bout that?"

"Yeah we did but," Shikamaru frowns and gestures to Naruto vaguely. "This's just excessive at this point. You're literally glowing, Naruto. _Glowing_. I feel like I'm staring at the sun when I look at you."

Naruto almost chokes on his water when a laugh bubbles out of his throat. "_Shikamaru_," He wheezed. "Couldn't you wait to say that _after_ I finished drinking?"

"I could've, but that wouldn't be as entertaining."

"You're a cold man, Shika." Naruto sighs and shakes his head. "But yeah, I've been happier than usual 'cuz I found someone."

Shikamaru raised his brow and Naruto knows he made a mistake. "Oh? You got yourself a girlfriend huh? Interesting, who is she?" He croons, doing nothing to hide the almost malignant glint in his droopy eyes. And just like that, all the conversation stopped and Naruto was in the spotlight.

"What? No! I don't have–it's not–" Naruto stammers when he tries to clear up the misunderstanding to his gawking friends. He takes a deep, steadying breath. "He's just a friend that I haven't seen in forever, that's all."

"Ah, so it's the new guy in our class," Sakura says, perking up in realization. "I didn't expect him to be your type but opposites attract, I guess."

"_Sakura_," Naruto doesn't pout, he frowns. "What part of 'friends' are you guys not getting?"

Ino snorts. "So the reason you've been sneaking off lately to have some alone time with him and walking home together everyday is because you're 'just friends'? Sure, just like how Choji hates food and Sakura totally isn't dating Sai." Two indignant cries rose at her comment while Sai just smiled.

Naruto just sighs and let them grill him for information, resigning himself to his mistake.

Their words and accusations kept ringing in his head when he walks with Sasuke. He keeps catching himself drifting his gaze to Sasuke's face–the sun painting his skin gold, a rosy tint on his cheeks from the warmth, his hair a deep brown instead of the pure black it was when the moon was high–Sasuke glances at him and Naruto immediately looks away, blaming the heat rising on his face on the sun. Thankfully, he doesn't say anything.

Sasuke stays quiet even when Naruto brushed his pinkie against his and slowly–so hesitantly and gently–entwined their hands.

They stayed like that until they had to part ways.

4

Weeks passed and Naruto continued to stubbornly dance around the subject.

The hand holding became a constant thing between them and Sasuke never complains about it–doesn't even question it, and Naruto wasn't sure where to go from there. They were still friends, that much he knows, but what he doesn't know is where this was going anymore.

Sasuke was everything he wasn't–naturally smart, quiet, a little grouchy, distant with a lingering emptiness weaved in his very soul. Naruto was a little bit of a knucklehead–something his friends call him fondly–and he's calmed down from when he was younger but still too loud, still brash with his heart on his sleeve. It sounded like a cliche start of one of those teen romances that Ino likes to read when she's working part-time in her dad's flower shop.

They were both sitting at the base of the tree with his favorite swing when Sasuke pulls out a little box, creased around the top where he flicks it open to pull out a small cylinder. "You smoke?" Naruto asks, watching Sasuke light the stick and bring it up to his mouth, the way his chest rises with a deep inhale, lips pursed around the cigarette.

"Yeah, I do." When Sasuke speaks, white smoke spills out of his mouth and curls into the air around them. "Are you disgusted?"

"No it's fine I just–" Naruto can see the tension he didn't even know existed melt off of Sasuke's shoulders with each drag. "I didn't expect it from someone like you, y'know?"

"Not a lot of people do." Sasuke murmurs with a strange smile teasing his lips.

Naruto frowns and sits in silence, trying to figure out the enigma that was Sasuke. "I… I don't know a whole lot about you do I?"

Sasuke makes a noncommittal sound, and it sounded like confirmation to Naruto's ears.

Naruto knows this about Sasuke. He's younger than Naruto by a few months. He learned that Sasuke likes eating tomatoes when the boy always took the slices Naruto picked out of his sandwiches, and that he doesn't like sweets when he wrinkled his nose in distaste as he ate the dango he brought for lunch. He knows Sasuke listens to classical music and his favorite color was a deep, navy blue. His favorite subject was history and his least was chemistry. Now, Naruto also knows that he smokes. These are all surface level details about Sasuke and it really hits Naruto right then that no–he really didn't know much about Sasuke at all.

"Guess I'll just have to hang out with you more then," Naruto faces Sasuke, who only watches him impassively. "I mean, we're friends after all, s'only natural y'know?"

"I guess it is." Sasuke says lightly and stubs out his dead cigarette.

Friends, right. That's all they are right now–and for some reason, it hurts Naruto. 'Lovesick' was what Ino diagnosed him after one of her self-proclaimed relationship counseling sessions. He doesn't think it's love, but he doesn't know how else to explain the way his heart twists and the fireworks going off under his skin when they held hands. Or how the rare glimpses of something lighter underneath Sasuke's melancholic eyes made him want to continue whatever he was doing–see the easy joy painting his face and the carefree laughter that spilled out of his lips like the puff of smoke he breathed out, and thinks that Sasuke was beautiful when he was happy.

Sasuke was already alluring from afar–a sort of ethereal figure that was untouchable to mortal hands, timeless and elegant. But to stand by him, to hold him and realize that he's just as lovely when he's tangible and real and _human. _His snarky remarks towards the people he didn't like, the way he cringes in disgust when Naruto scarfs down his fourth bowl of ramen, the undignified snort when he says something stupid–Naruto knows that this imperfect, earthbound Sasuke is, ironically, so much more perfect than the otherworldly figure he thought was Sasuke.

Naruto lets out a shaky breath, one that was both acquiescenting and hopeful, and covers his friend's hand with his own.

He was irreversibly, irrevocably, in love with Sasuke.

5

In the end, it was Sasuke who made the first move.

It was during lunch where they were once again alone on the rooftop. There was a lull in their idle talking, and Naruto felt a light touch trailing up his arm, all the way to cusp the back of his neck, cold fingers teasing the hairs on the base of his skull. He turns his head, face as red as a tomato, to ask what Sasuke was doing–and then a kiss.

It wasn't anything special–light, close mouthed, hesitant. "Oh," Naruto breathes out, eyes wide and unable to come up with a single coherent thought as he stares at Sasuke's unreadable face. "_Oh_." His brain catches up, and he leaned in to properly kiss Sasuke. He kisses him sweetly, slowly, tasting the smoke on his tongue and pours all of his emotions into this one moment because _finally_–it was so relieving, so euphoric to know that he wasn't the only one to want this that when they had to separate for air, the longing for him was that much stronger.

"You're so nice to me." Sasuke whispers, a delicate sound to pull Naruto out of his haze.

"Well what else am I supposed to be?" He jokes, then falls into a contemplative silence. "... I guess we're, uh, guess we're dating now huh?" He fumbles around for words and falls short of the suave line he was going for.

Naruto thinks Sasuke doesn't mind though. He looks at Naruto with an emotion he couldn't decipher when he says the words that started it all. "That sounds nice."

When Naruto goes home that night, he squeals into his pillow, not that he'd ever admit it.

Their first official date was when Naruto takes them to the local coffee shop that plays smooth jazz and has the cozy type of atmosphere to it. He takes them there because he remembers Ino telling him that coffee shop dates were simple. Casual enough for a budding relationship but intimate if they went at the perfect hour where people sparsely filled the seats and they had a little corner all to themselves. This was exactly that, and Naruto notes in the back of his mind to thank her on monday.

They talked about this and that like they've always done–but it felt different. The act itself was familiar, but the shy smiles and lingering touches were all new. Naruto felt like his heart had wings, and he tries the memorize the feeling, how life had become so bright now that Sasuke was in it, the way he felt like he could fly and touch every star in the sky.

Naruto smiles and thinks to himself as Sasuke laughs, that he loves him.

Sasuke freezes, and it takes another second to realize the words that spilled out of his mouth. "Do you really mean that?"

Naruto breathes deeply, reaching across the table to clasp Sasuke's hands and looks him in the eyes when he says, "Of course I do."

"Of course you do." Sasuke repeats quietly, staring at their hands.

6

The first time they had sex, Naruto learns another thing about Sasuke.

The metal was startlingly cold and smooth against the pads of his fingers, and he pulls away from Sasuke's lips to stare at him, bewitched. Two spherical pieces of metal stuck out proudly at the nape of Sasuke's neck, and he traces them, feeling the way his body shudder against him when he does. "Smoking _and _piercings?" Naruto mutters into Sasuke's neck as he trails his lips down the pale skin, leaving behind little red marks that he knew would be visible without makeup. "Who knew that I'd end up with such a bad boy."

"That's not the only one." Sasuke breathes out, eyes fluttering shut as Naruto slowly unbuttons his shirt.

Naruto chuckles, kissing Sasuke on the lips lightly. "Are you for real?" He asks, tugging off the fabric hanging loosely on Sasuke's shoulders and–Naruto thinks he's developing a taste for piercings.

"You're too much for my heart, really." His hands move to caress the body under him, feeling every curve, every muscle that twitched under his touch, burning them into his memory. He tugs on one of the barbells glinting in the dim light and Sasuke–the way his back arched so beautifully and his little broken sigh when Naruto does it again was mouthwatering.

Naruto was completely, utterly entranced–a human body being pierced in such a way to be embellished with a decoration was always something he thought were for delinquents but on Sasuke's slender body–they were exquisite. Sasuke was captivating, so pretty and flawless that Naruto had to fist a hand in his messy hair, pulling ever so slightly and kissed him deeper than he ever has before. "You're too good to me," He mutters between kisses as he feels Sasuke's hands slide under his shirt, blunt nails digging into his skin. "How did someone so _perfect _end up with someone like me?"

"I'm not, though." Sasuke's breath hitches when his lip was caught between Naruto's teeth.

"You _are_." The slow burr of the zipper and the rustling fabric echoed loudly in the quiet room.

Everything else happened in a blur, his hands on Sasuke's hips and Sasuke's legs around his waist as he takes him, slow and sweet. Sasuke was surprisingly vocal, small cries when he teased the piercings on his nipples and long groans when he angled his thrusts just right–it drove him insane. "_Naruto_–" Sasuke's voice broke at the end and his heels dug harshly into Naruto's back, shuddering as his whole body tenses.

Afterwards, he pulls Sasuke close and wraps his arms around him, bathing in the afterglow that washed over his body like the gentle morning light. "Do you mind if I…" Sasuke reaches for the pocket on his haphazardly thrown shirt.

"Go for it." Naruto's voice comes out raspy as he lets go of Sasuke to watch him do whatever he needed to. He makes an appreciative noise and grabs his pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Naruto pushes himself up, giving a light kiss on the nape of Sasuke's neck, murmuring quietly into the marked skin. "I meant what I said, y'know."

Sasuke sits quietly, contemplatively, smoke curling out of his lips. "What did I do?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto frowns, moving to sit next to him.

"... It's nothing." Sasuke leans back, a loose hold on his arm as he falls backwards, and Naruto lets himself be dragged down too.

7

The perfect breakup goes something like this–Sasuke would be straightforward but kind in letting Naruto go, and Naruto would understand why. They would take a break from each other before eventually becoming friends again with no lingering feelings between them. That's not how it went.

Sasuke's been cold lately, he knows that much. He's making excuses to not go on dates, pulling away from Naruto every time the blonde tries to hold him, and he sees how much it's hurting Naruto, how confused he was when Sasuke starts distancing himself. It hurts him too, but he knows that he deserves it–relishes in the weight crushing his lungs and phantom hands gripping his heart because he knew that he never should have indulged Naruto. He didn't mean to start a relationship, only a quick hookup then they would go back to being friends. The boy was infatuated, so hopelessly in love with him, and if Sasuke were asked if he felt the same? Well–

"Sasuke, please… Talk to me." Naruto pleads at some point, standing in front of him with his hands clasped onto Sasuke's, eyes desperate and earnest as they stared into his own. "What's going on? Why have you been avoiding me so much lately–did I do something wrong?"

"No, you haven't," Sasuke carefully doesn't meet his gaze. "Listen, I thinks it's better if we… Took a break."

Naruto–Naruto does nothing. Truly, absolutely, nothing. He goes still, about as still as a human being ever could–he doesn't breathe, doesn't speak, and for that long moment Sasuke had to wonder if time had frozen as Naruto ceased to function. It makes the hands around his heart all the more palpable, the sound of his breathing deafening in his ears and it's through sheer force of will alone that his hands don't tremble as the rush of adrenaline crashes down on him when the anticipation drowns him.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asks, low and cracked even as understanding slowly dawned on him. This voice, this look–the look of a man whose god has abandoned him, so desolate and lost and _scared_–it doesn't suit him.

"You shouldn't have to put up with someone like me," Sasuke starts to pull his hands away. "You deserve someone normal, someone who'd love you more than me."

"God dammit Sasuke can you for once get your head outta your ass and stop saying things like _I'm not good for you_ or _you'd be happier with someone else_ and get it in your stupid head that I love _you_!" His hands were locked in an almost painful grip and he can feel the frustration rolling off of Naruto. "I love you, you dumb bastard. I don't care that you smoke or have piercings, I don't care about how many issues you have–I love you, every single bit that makes you Sasuke. _I love you_."

Sasuke feels like he's suffocating in the silence–the guilt churning in his gut thick and heavy, clawing him apart. "I'm sorry." He really was.

"I love you, Sasuke. I'd never–I won't ever love anyone else the way I love you."

"You will."

Naruto doesn't show up to school after that day, or the next, or the day after that, and a full week passes by without him–and Sasuke just carries on with his day. Naruto was painfully, hopelessly in love with him and if Sasuke were asked if he felt the same? Well, nothing is easier than self-deceit, and Sasuke has been lying to himself for too long to stop now.

End of Act 1


End file.
